Father's Day 2017

There was this one summer that I was home from college and my parents had borrowed a car from some friends. My dad was getting ready to return it, but wanted to be sure to give it back in better condition that we had received it.

The year before, I had endured my first summer job as an adult, cleaning cars for Enterprise rentals at the Denver airport, so my dad enlisted my help as an "expert" car cleaner.

We got out the vacuum and the hose attachment and went under the seat and between the cushions. We cleaned the dashboard and the door handles. We got out the windex and cleaned the windows inside and out.

In a half hour, the car looked pretty good to me. It was hot and sunny in the driveway and I was ready to be done. But my dad wasn't finished. He took paper towels to the vents and slid them between the thin slats to get rid of the dust that had gathered. He popped the trunk and vacuumed that as well. He found the spot where loose change gets thrown, took the money out and cleaned the container before putting the change back.

My dad just has a gift for doing more, for always going above and beyond what he's asked to do.

Ask him to take out the garbage and he'll break down the piled up cardboard boxes in the recycling. Put him in charge of dinner and he'll make pasta from scratch. Ask him to take the kids swimming and he'll clean the filter while he's out there.

My dad's servant heart is one of the things I appreciate most about him. And it has shaped my interactions with the world.

Happy Father's Day Dad. Thanks for investing in me and always giving me more than I deserve. I love you.

-----------------------------------

10 things I love about the father of my children:

1. His quickness for laughter.

2. His patience.

3. The genetics that gave him great legs and a tight butt. (My girls are so lucky to have inherited those.)

4. The ability to go along for the ride and have an adventure.

5. His unabashed ability to show affection to his girls.

6. The importance he places on family above everything else.

7. His understanding of the limits and limitlessness of our children.

8. Cooking skills.

9. I have an equal parenting partner.

10. That he really truly enjoys our children. He really likes them. 

Happy Father's Day, dearest husband. How lucky I am and our girls are, to have you in our lives. I love you.